Biwa

Portland, OR
biwarestaurant.com



The Order: Biwa Hamburger, medium rare. Seasoned ground beef, Kimchi mayo, and Chasyu.  Served only after 10pm.
Side Order: Comes with small amount of potatoes and slaw (pickled.)
$8
Drink Order: Shibuya Sling - cocktail
Burger Menu Rating: 14/15




I was working out in LA a few weeks ago and decided to take a side trip up to Portland, OR to visit my friend Tim.  Now, Tim loves burgers, and he loves beer, so we've had many a trip to partake of both of those lovely things.  But as of yet, I'd not been able to visit up in Portland, and all he'd been telling me about was how awesome the beer was, and how good the food was.  So I figured, what the heck, I've got the time and the money, I might as well do this while I'm on the same coast, right?  Right.

When I first got into Portland, Tim immediately asks me what we're gonna eat, and how he's been freaking out about which burger joint he was going to take me to, because he wanted my first Portland burger experience to be an awesome one.  Instead, we headed to Pok Pok Noi, a Northern Thai restaurant, owned by Andy Ricker which has expanded across Portland and also into NYC in the past few years.  Absolutely everything we ate was incredibly spicy (Ricker didn't want to dumb down the flavors and spiciness for the American palette), but amazing.  Huge wings smothered in a sweet red chili sauce, green papaya salad, and boar collar with lettuce.  All just so delicious, and so incredibly spicy.  As a first taste of the kind of fare that I could expect in Portland, this was perfect.

We tossed around a few ideas for where to get a burger for dinner the next night, and landed upon Biwa.  Tim had heard about this burger before, and it had gotten a great write-up from Nick Zukin as being one of the top 10 bistro burgers in Portland.  Other places weren't open when we wanted to go, and Biwa's burger sounded intriguing.  Now, Biwa is a Japanese restaurant in Southeast Portland that does not take reservations.  They have a limited amount of seating, and the place fills up really quickly.  We arrived at about 9:15 to make sure we could get a table, and ended up sitting at the bar, where we split a few appetizers to kill time.  By this point, we were starving, and the anticipation was killing us.  We watched as the chefs started to prepare the burgers almost immediately at 10pm.  Mouths watering.  When it arrived, the burger was a beauty to behold; the top bun placed off center to show off the Chasyu, pork belly that's been cured in various sauces, rolled up and sliced, and the dollop of Kimchi mayo, and the potatoes and pickled slaw on the side to complete the picture.


Cross section of the Biwa Hamburger

Now, this burger was cooked perfectly.  The above picture makes it a little difficult to tell because of the stark angle of the lighting, but believe you me, this was juicy with a deep red center that transitioned to pink towards the outsides.  The grind was extremely coarse, and the meat had definitely not been worked over, providing a perfectly crumbly texture with the fats and juices mixed all the way thru, and this was a super thick patty.  The bun was lightly toasted, just enough to provide a crunch, but still soft and absorbent.  A nice thickness too so that when it got to absorbing the juices, it didn't get all completely soaked, but still maintained some of its airy quality.

The kimchi aioli was light and perfect.  It didn't overwhelm the taste of the patty and added an awesome and intriguing slightly sour flavor.  The greens were a great bed upon which to lay the burger, though they seemed to only add texture, and not much in the way of flavor.  The Chasyu was a thin slice, fried, and crunchy.  It added a nice texture, is slightly salty, but I was torn between wanting a thicker piece for the usual soft texture that pork belly provides.  It definitely added to the overall richness of this burger, but the meat is no second contender to the Chasyu.  The meat flavor hits you in the first bite, and lasts til the end.

The potatoes on the side had mustard seeds, which are a nice and surprising texture, and flavor, when combined with the potatoes.  The slaw was made up of a few pickled items: carrots, onion and some kind of pepper.  It was very reminiscent of traditional Japanese tasting menus in that with its sharp flavors, it cleansed the palette in a fantastic way.  Eat a bite of these every few bites of the burger to re-experience your first bite in a whole new way.  And the fact that these sides aren't just a companion side, like fries, but are intended to compliment and change how you taste the burger is amazing.  Some real thought went into the flavor combinations and the presentation, making this burger well worth both the $8 and the wait til 10pm.




Cooked Correctly: 5
Design/Ingredients: 3
Plating: 3
Value: 3

Bark Hot Dogs

Brooklyn, NY
www.barkhotdogs.com



The Order: Bark Cheeseburger, medium rare. Organic Angus beef, short rib and top round, pork jowl, bark sauce, b&b pickles, lettuce and onion.
Side Order: Fries ($3)
$6.25 + $3 = $9.25
Drink Order: 12oz Bark Red Ale (made by Sixpoint)
Burger Menu Rating: 12.5/15




You thought I was going full-blown Vegan?! No burgers, my lovelies, I will never abandon you. It was just an April Fools joke I swear. No, I didn't eat any vegetables behind your back. No I'll never do it again.

On a side note, in doing more reviews with the new rating system, I've noticed a flaw that I must rectify. Somehow, I gave the Plating category 4 points, when it really should have 3, and the Design/Ingredients category 3 when it should have 4. So I'm switching them. It'll allow more room for the burger itself to shine. Hope you like it. Previous reviews will not be edited. We (I) only look forward here at Burger Menu.



I know you're thinking 'but wait, this is a hot dog place,' and you're right to be hesitant, but this is a good burger! Not exactly cooked perfectly, they usually cook the burger medium well because of the pork in the meat, but they cooked it between medium rare and medium for me, so not bad. A simple burger but with great ingredients. The flavor of the meat is perfect in tandem with the sauce and the meat flavor still shines through. This is almost a fast food burger because of its size and taste, so it competes with the likes of Shake Shack in the Fast/Casual category (as it was put to me last night), in which it definitely holds it's own. I scarfed this thing down in a second, and I wasn't even starving.

The fries are perfect and well worth the three dollars. A good amount of fries, perfectly seasoned, these are thin crunchy AND soft fries. Cooked just the right amount to get that dichotomy of texture that fries need to have.

Bark does a $10 lunch deal which includes a burger, fries and a soda. They also do a dinner deal for $11 which includes a burger, fries and a draught beer. Not bad deals at all. Bark is definitely worth the price. They have a frequent eater card, aka the Bark Executive Card, which will get you rewards, like... eat 10 burgers get your 11th free (or something similar). They also sell growlers and will do growler refills of what they have on tap!




Cooked Correctly: 4.5/5
Design/Ingredients: 3/4
Plating: 2/3
Value: 3/3



Announcing! The first Burger Menu giveaway. I just bought a groupon for Prime Burger, recipient of the James Beard Award for "America's Classic Restaurants" and recipient of AOL City's Best "Top 10 Burgers". Up to 3 people can accompany me, which means I'm covering the tab! If you come with me, you get a burger, an order of fries, and a shake. FOR FREE! So. Who's coming with me? Well what I really need is more exposure for the blog. So! The first three people to email me proof that they've shared the blog with at least 5 people (hopefully these are new people), will get to come with me on this burger adventure (unfortunately, if you live outside of NYC, you're SOL, but perhaps another giveaway will be in YOUR city). All you have to do is email the link to this blog ( http://burgermenu.blogspot.com ) and cc me on the email ( theburgermenu@gmail.com ) and you're gold! Points to whoever writes the best writeup. Go!

The Breslin

Manhattan, NY
thebreslin.com



The Order: Chargrilled Lamb Burger, medium rare. With feta, cumin mayo, and red onion.
Side Order: Comes with Thrice cooked chips. Boiled peanuts fried in pork fat ($6)
$21 + $6 = $27
Drink Order: Spotted Pig Cask Conditioned Bitter
Burger Menu Rating: 12.5/15




I met up with Mike and Vanessa again for another burger expedition, this time to the Ace Hotel (Seriously guys, if any of you others want to eat burgers with me, you just have to ask, I'm game). When you walk into the lobby of the Ace Hotel in NYC, you'll be greeted by decor and clientele for which the chain of hotels is known: hipsters, vinyl records, driftwood, mustaches, and taxidermy, a sort of upscale hipster getaway. Navigate through all of this to get to the Breslin (or I guess you could enter from their Street entrance, but there's much more to look at if you enter through the lobby, trust me), but don't be distracted by the bar in the lobby. While they also have a burger on their bar menu that looks tasty, what you want is the lamb burger at Chef April Broomfield's The Breslin serves. The place really starts to fill up by 7p, so get here early, and even arriving at 6p meant a 15 minute wait, even though the front half of the restaurant appeared to have a lot of open tables (even though there are no reservations?). Whatever. a 15 minute wait isn't so bad with a beer in your hand.


(photo courtesy of The Breslin)

After looking over the menu, we quickly decided to split the boiled peanuts fried in pork fat (they've since changed them to merely fried in pork fat and raised it to $7. I don't think the extra $1 will make it more delicious, but I'm sure it's still as good). The waitress, being extremely attentive and perky, rewarded our quick thinking by taking our orders as soon as we were ready. But from that point the dinner dragged on and on. Our waitress was fantastic, but the food service is so incredibly slow, it was almost unbearable (we could almost have not added a bear). The peanuts came after a time, and went away faster than we would have liked, and were followed by more waiting.

Well into our second drinks, the burgers finally arrived, and our mouths were watering from having waited for so long. I love it when burgers are simple, when they have had some thought put into them, when the chef doesn't just add lettuce, tomato and a slice of onion for the hell of it. This burger is simple, with emphasis on the flavor of the lamb. Juicy, messy, and a huge patty, I mean, look at the picture. That patty is HUGE, and awesome. The cumin mayo mixed with the feta and the lamb is fantastic, if a little strong. The bun was a bit too crispy, a detriment to the burger, but was able to soak up the juices. If it had been a little less crunchy, it would have made for a perfectly designed burger.

The fries were delicious on their own. They were extra crispy, soft on the inside, and lightly seasoned. I don't really get what about them was so spectacular after having been 'thrice-cooked' but sure, I'd go for them again. The fact that they were still soft on the inside is a draw. With a crunch, and the mix of textures, they're a delight to eat, and when dipped in the cumin mayo, it was impossible to stop eating them.




Cooked Correctly = 5pts
Presentation/Plating = 3pts
Design/Ingredients = 2.5pts
Value = 2

Go Burger

Manhattan, NY - 38th st.
www.e2hospitality.com/go-burger



The Order: "The Anime" - 4oz patty, medium rare. With scallions, Miso-Russian dressing, Hoisin Sauce, pork bellies, sesame seeds and shredded lettuce.
Side Order: Vidalia Onion rings ($5)
$7 + $5 = $12
Drink Order: Coke
Burger Menu Rating: 12.5/15




Amazing! Juicy! And NOT ON THE MENU! Go here NOW and get this burger to be one of the first to try this new amazing creation. Before I moved to New York, I'd heard a lot of people naysay when talking about Go Burger Los Angeles, so I was skeptical the first time I went to the NY chain. A decent normal burger, a little pricy, but not so huge that it made you regret eating all of it. Then! This past Monday, I had a morning meeting right next door to Go Burger, and well, of course I was craving burgers by the time I got out at 11:30a, and since I just so happened to be right next door, what the hell? Right? I walk in, and am preparing to order when the server stops me and very excitedly asks me if I want to try their new burger. "Do I ever?!" She was even so excited about it, that she took a picture of one when SHE ate it (she's already speaking my language by this point). With excitement coursing through my entire body, I took a seat, waiting for my burger order to be up.

So again, I say Amazing! Juicy! The taste of the pork bellies comes through right away, in an amazing way! It mixes with and is enhanced by the different sauces on the burger, but is by no means overpowered. This is the second burger I've had with pork bellies on it, and I'm starting to think that burgers can never go wrong by having them. They add a richness in flavor, and a sweetness that is impossible to match.

The 4oz patty on this burger doesn't offer much in the way of taste, but this seems to hit the mark perfectly in this case. Any larger of a patty, and you wouldn't focus as much on the other toppings, and this is DEFINITELY toppings-burger. What it does offer, however, is mouthfeel, and it grounds it firmly in the realm of burgers, rather than straying towards a sandwich on a burger bun. The somewhat course texture of the small patty is a perfect contrast to the smooth surface of the pork bellies. You might say that $7 is a little steep for the size of this burger as a whole (4oz patty notwithstanding), but this burger doesn't know that its small. It packs a huge punch, and is totally satisfying. You're also getting a really interesting burger. If it wasn't so tasty and exciting, $7 would be outrageous.

The onion rings are awesome. Perfectly cooked, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Lightly salted, and with the vidalia's natural sweetness, they combine for a really great taste. Delicious, and a decent sized portion too. These need no sauce of any kind to eat. Go Burger's Rings stand on their own, golden and proud.

I am serious when I say that this burger is not on their menu yet. As of the time of this post, it is NOT on their 38th st. online menu, and it is NOT on the board at their brick and mortar location. I am also serious when I say that you should change your lunch plans and go there immediately. You won't regret it. And please let me know when you've tried it!


Cooked Correctly = 5pts
Presentation/Plating = 2pts
Design/Ingredients = 3pts
Value = 2.5pts

Triumph Brewery

Princeton, NJ
www.triumphbrewing.com



The Order: Epic Burger, medium rare. With pork bellies, caramelized onions, fried egg, truffle aioli, mornay sauce, and a pickle.
Side Order: Comes with fries
$15
Drink Order: Triumph Beer flight: Honey Blonde, Amber Ale, German Pilsner, Oatmeal Stout, Bengal Gold IPA, Abbey Trippel, Porter



I want to shake the hand of the chef who designed this ridiculous creation. This burger was just all around fantastic. It was big. It was juicy. It was cooked perfectly. I knew I loved burgers before I ate this, and I knew I loved pork bellies, but the combination of the two, AND a fried egg?! Holy shit. I can't even begin to tell you how satisfying and tasty this burger was from the moment it arrived. It looked amazing and served to make me all the hungrier before I could sink my teeth in.

Piling on all the ingredients, and smearing on the sauce, every moment of it was building in anticipation of that first bite, which in no way disappointed. I don't think this thing could possibly have disappointed anybody. The egg was gloriously runny, mixing with the sauces and the flavorful meat. The bun was lightly toasted, containing and absorbing the juices, but not too hard that it got in the way of the rest of the burger experience. This is seriously a hearty and delicious burger. I would come back here in a second, and it would be the only reason, besides cheaper gas, to go to NJ. Seriously, awesome.

A generous portion of fries on the side were delicious, and a refreshing change from all of the stingy burger places giving only a measly little handful. They were all cooked the same, crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside, evenly and delicious seasoned. And I cleaned the plate after the burger. It as ALL gone. STUFFED. And happy.